MINI Complaints

PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR DOES NOT SENSE PASSENGER. LIGHT ILLUMINATES STATING PASSENGER AIRBAGS OFF. DEALER HAS REPLACED SENSOR SEAT MAT TWICE AND STILL DOES HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE LAST FIX THE MINI TECH SERVICE ADVISOR SENT HOME WITH ME ADDING A STATEMENT TO MY FILE THAT IF YOU ARE A CERTAIN SIZE/WEIGHT AND OR MOVE IN SEAT LIGHT COULD COME ON. I DO NOT MOVE AROUND IN SEAT AND I MY SIZE IS NOT THE ISSUE. IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER SINCE I HAD TO GO THROUGH BMW TO GET A REP TO LOOK AT. AS OF TODAY CAR IS NOT FIXED. THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THESE AS TOLD TO ME BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND PARTS MANAGER AT BMW AND MY FIRST SEAT MAT I HAD TO WAIT 3 MONTHS FOR BECAUSE OF BACKORDER AND AVAILABILITY SINCE SO MANY WERE WRONG. MY NUMBER IS LARGE IN THE # OF FAILURES CATEGORY SINCE EVERYTIME I GET IN THE CAR IT TAKES ABOUT 3 -6 FAILURES BEFORE I CAN TRIGGER IT TO WORK SINCE MAY 2007 WHICH IS WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW. *TR

POWER WINDOW FAILURE TO PROPERLY LIFT AND SEAL WHEN DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS ARE CLOSED. *TR

THE CENTER PILLAR HEAT RISES TO AN EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURE IN MY CAR. THIS HAPPENED IN THE SUMMER WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE VERY HOT.(100+) IT'S HOT ENOUGH TO STARTLE A DRIVER OR BURN THEM; THIS COULD CAUSE THEM TO REACT BY MOVING THEIR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR IN AN UNPREDICTABLE WAY, WHICH IS QUITE A SAFETY HAZARD. IT BURNED MY RIGHT ANKLE. I'M WRITING NOW BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER THEN, PLUS I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS WEBSITE. NOW THERE ARE REPORTS OF MINI COOPER SS CATCHING ON FIRE. I AM CONCERNED. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD A 60K SERVICE ON MY 2002 MINI COOPER. A COUPLE DAYS LATER I DROVE FROM MONTEREY, CA TO LOS ANGELES, CA AND MY CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. ALL OF A SUDDEN OUT OF THE BLUE, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE 101 FREEWAY AND COULD NOT TURN MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY TOLD ME MY POWER STEERING PUMP HAD BROKE. $1,000 LATER THE PART OF REPLACED. LUCKILY I WAS SAFE, AS WAS THE PASSENGER IN MY CAR. BUT WHAT IF I HAD BEEN ON A VERY CURY, BUSY HIGHWAY? I COULD HAVE DRIVEN OFF A CLIFF! THIS IS NOT A PART THAT SHOULD SIMPLY WEAR OUT OR BREAK, WE ARE TALKING PEOPLE'S LIVES! I LOVE MY MINI AND AM A PROUD MINI OWNER AND DRIVER BUT AFTER THIS I DON'T THINK I WILL EVER BUY ANOTHER MINI OR BMW. *TR

COLD START RUMBLE/RATTLE/CLATTER FROM ENGINE. INTERMITTENT AND SPORADIC SOUND FROM ENGINE BAY UPON START UP PRIMARILY DURING WINTER MONTHS, SOUND DISAPTES AND GOES AWAY AS CAR WARMS. THE SOUND IS VERY ROUGH CLATTER, SOUNDING LIKE METAL ON METAL - OIL STARVATION ON START UP? I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ON LONG TERM DAMAGE AND COMPROMISE OF THE NORMAL LIFE OF MOTOR - IN OTHER WORDS GETTING SCREWED OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. THIS IS NOT A SINGLE INCIDENT, BUT AN ONGOING CONDITION. *TR

MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 65K MILES ON IT. AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH, MY POWER STEERING FAILED. MY RESERVOIR IS FULL, AND I HAVE YET TO FIND A GARAGE WHO IS WILLING AND/OR ABLE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM (HAVING ALREADY STOPPED AT 3 TODAY). *TR

CAR HAS BEEN OUTSIDE IN THE COLD WEATHER AND WHEN STARTED IT SOUNDS LIKE NOT FIRING CORRECTLY-BACKFIRING NOISES. ENGINE LIGHTS POP UP. MAINLY 1/2 ENGINE POWER LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE. CAR REALLY ONLY HAS 1/2 ENGINE POWER. TOP SPEED IS 45MPH, DOWNHILL. CAR LURCHES AROUND, ENGINE REVS EVERY SECOND OR SO. 1ST TIME SHUT CAR OFF AND TURNED BACK ON THEN IT WAS FINE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. CAR SPENT NIGHT IN GARAGE, WAS FINE NEXT MORNING. THAT NIGHT SAME SYMPTOMS AT START UP BUT DIDN'T GO AWAY - HAD TO MAKE LONG COMMUTE HOME AT SLOW SPEEDS. CAR SPENT NIGHT INSIDE AGAIN AND WAS FINE IN THE MORNING. CALLED DEALER, CAR TOWED TO DEALER. SERVICE MANAGER KEPT USING ENGINE AND THROTTLE INTERCHANGEABLY - CAUSING GREAT CONCERN WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS CONDENSATION GETTING INTO IT AND FREEZING, BUT THEY REASSURED ME IT IS THE THROTTLE AND NOT THE ENGINE. DEALER SAID THEY PUT A SPECIAL LUB IN IT AND TO NOT DRIVE SHORT DRIVES-I NEVER DO, 24,000 MILES ON A 9 MONTH OLD CAR. 6 WEEKS LATER EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. CAR TO DEALER. LOANER CAR (2007 MINI COOPER S) DID EXACT SAME THING MY CAR WAS DOING. THE LOANER CAR DID COME OUT OF IT ABOUT 30 MILES INTO COMMUTE. COULD GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ALL LIGHTS WENT OFF EXCEPT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. SOMETHING SEEMED TO THAW OUT. WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE WAS FREEZING IN COLD TEMPS AND AFFECTING MANY MINI'S, BMW'S, AND JAG'S. DEALER CHANGED OIL IN MY CAR, 1 WEEK AFTER 1ST OIL CHANGE. DEALER SAID THEY ARE DOING INVESTIGATION BUT THAT I HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT FOR NOW. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SENSOR THAT TELLS THE COMPUTER HOW MUCH GAS TO SPRAY INTO THE CHAMBER IS FROZEN. PROBABLY MADE OF CHEAP MATERIALS, GETS HOT, MOISTURE CONDENSES AND FREEZES ON SENSOR CAUSING PROBLEMS BUT NOT SURE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE CAR GO THROUGH ONE OF IT'S "FITS". CAR HAS BEEN FINE FOR PAST 4 WEEKS. SOME PEOPLE AT DEALER ADMIT TO PROBLEM WHILE OTHERS WILL NOT, TELLING ME IT IS JUST MY CAR AND ONLY WHEN I HAVE IT. *TR

NEW 2007 MINI COOPER S DOES NOT STAY RUNNING IN COLD WEATHER WHEN STARTED. THE CAR HAS TO BE REVVED ABOVE 1000RPM'S FOR 2 MINUTES TO KEEP CAR RUNNING. SO FAR ORIGINAL COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPROGRAMMED, A NEW COMPUTER INSTALLED SINCE THE REPROGRAM DIDN'T WORK AND NEW HOSES PLACED THINKING THERE IS AN ICING ISSUE. CAR WAS AT SERVICE CENTER FOR 1 MONTH, TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FIXED AND TESTED, STARTED CAR TWO DAYS LATER AND IT DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN, IT DOES NOT STAY RUNNING WHEN COLD. *TR

MT CLIENT WAS REACHING INTO THE REAR OF A 2007 MINI COOPER BMW WHEN HER LEG MADE CONTACT WITH THE PROTRUDING MUFFLER THAT CAUSED A SEVERE BURN ON HER LEG. *TR

I WAS PARKED ONE AFTER NOON LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND I HEARD A CRACKLING SOUND COMING FORM THE ABS PUMP. THERE WAS A SMALL PUFF OF SMOKE AND THEN THE SOUND STOPPED. AT THIS POINT I WENT ABOUT MY BUSINESS AND RETURNED TO MY 2004 MINI COOPER S AND THE ABS/TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WERE OUT. A FEW DAYS LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BMW DEALER AND AFTER A FEW TESTS THEY DETERMINED IT WAS JUST BAD FUSES. A WEEK HAS PAST AND I HAVE HAD NO OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR